Brake strap guide



Nov. 18, 1958 N. F. FLESCH 2,860,739

BRAKE STRAP GUIDE Filed April 1.6, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 EFT. )1

60 31 INVENTOR.

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Nov. 18, 1958 N. F. FLESCH BRAKE STRAP GUIDE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 16, 1954 INVENTOR.

BY Q 06 G Nov. 18, 1958 N. F. FLESCH BRAKE STRAP GUIDE Filed Avril l 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 BRAKE STRAP GUIDE Norman F. Flesch, Park Forest, 111., assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 16, 1954, Serial No. 423,301

7 Claims. c1. 188--205) This invention relates to clasp brakes for railway vehicles such as cars or locomotives and more particularly to a novel arrangement wherein live and dead truck levers associated with a wheel of a vehicle are interconnected by an underaxle strap.

A primary object of the invention is to devise a guide to maintain the strap in proper alignment with the levers and wheel.

Another object of the invention is to mount the guide on a pedestal tie bar which underlies a journal box of the wheel and axle assembly, in combination with rigidly fixed strap engaging surfaces on the guide, and means for adjusting the surfaces toward and away from the wheel.

A further object of the invention is to devise a guide such as above described, which comprises relatively few parts and is economical in construction and capable of long life in railway service.

An additional object of the invention is to devise a novel guide which will maintain the strap in proper alignment with the levers and wheels and additionally afford longitudinal stability to the strap.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a truck embodying the invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an elevational view taken from the left, as seen in Figures 1 and 2 with the truck frame in vertical cross section,

Figure 4 is an end elevational view taken from the right of Figures 1 and 2,

Figure 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of the guide,

Figure 6 is an enlarged top plan view of the guide,

Figure 7 is an end elevational view of the guide, illustrating its position relative to the related Wheel,

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate a modification of the guide, Figure 8 being a side elevational view similar to Figure 5, and Figure 9 being an end elevational view similar to that of Figure 7, and

Figures 10 to 12inclusive illustrate another modification of the guide, Figure 10 being a top plan view of the modification, Figure 11 being a side elevational view of the structure of Figure 10 and Figure 12 being a sectional view taken along line 12-12 of Figure 11.

Describing the invention in detail and referring first to the general assembly views of Figures l-to 4, the truck comprises a frame, generally designated 2, having a side rail 4 at each side thereof interconnected with the opposite side rail (not shown) by an end rail 6 and a transom 8. Only one quarter of the truck is illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, inasmuch as the truck and its novel brake arrangement are preferably symmetrical about atent O lengthwise.

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the longitudinal and transverse vertical center planes of the structure. I

Between the transom 8 and the end rail 6 the side rail 4 is preferably provided with spaced depending pedestals or jaws 10 and 12, defining a conventional opening or aperture 14 which faces downwardly and receives a conventional journal box 16 of a wheel and axle assembly, generally designated 18. The truck frame 2 is preferably spring supported in the usual manner by equalizer-mounted springs (not shown) carried by the box 16.

The brake arrangement comprises a pair of dead hanger levers 2t) pivotally fulcrumed at 22 on a lug 24 of the end rail 6. A brake head 26 is pivotally connected as at 23 to the levers 20 and supports a conventional brake shoe 3%) for braking engagement with a peripheral tread surface of a wheel 31 of the before mentioned wheel and axle'assembly 18.

The lower ends of the hanger levers 20 are pivotally connected as at 32 to one end of astrap 33, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected as by a manual slack adjuster 34 to the lower end of a live hangerlever 36 to which a brake head 38 is pivoted as by a bolt and nut assembly 40 which is also pivotally connectedto the lower ends of hangers 42. The upper ends of the hangers are pivoted as by pins 44 to the truck frame 2. The brake head 38 carries a brake shoe 39 for engagement with the wheel 31. r

The upper end of the live hanger lever 36 is interconnected as by a link and clevis 46 to the inboard end of a dead cylinder lever 47 which is pivotally fulcrumed as at 48 to the truck frameside rail 4. The outboard end of the cylinder lever 47 is pivotallyconnected as at 50 to the piston rod 52 of a conventional compressed air power cylinder device 54.

A pedestal tie bar 56 underlies the journal box 16 and is removably secured in the usual manner as byscrews (not shown) to the lower ends of the pedestals *10 and 12.

One or more guide assemblies, generally designated 58, are connected to the tie bar 56 'as hereinafter described, one of said assemblies 58 being illustrated in the preferred embodiment of Figures 1 to 7. The guide assembly 58 comprises a flat U-shaped plate 60 having a flange 62 with a pair of elongated slots 64 extending The plate 60 is preferably provided with an outboardly facing wear plate or liner 66 which is aligned with an inboardly facing liner 68 on a substantially vertical plate 70 secured as by welding at 72 to a horizontal plate 74 having a pair of elongated openings 76 similar in form to the openings 64 and registered therewith. A pair of bolt and nut assemblies 78 extend through the openings 64 and 76 and through the tie bar 56 to support the guide assembly 58 therefrom. Thus it will be understood that upon loosening of the bolt and nut assemblies 78, the distance between the liners 66 and 68 may be adjusted as well as the distance between the liners and the wheel 31 so that the strap 33 which is positioned between the liners 66 and 681 is guided to maintain proper position thereof with respect to the wheel 31 and the levers 20 and 36.

Referring again to Figure 7, it will be seen that the U- shaped plate 60 and the vertical plate 70 define a substantially U-shaped slot 80 within which thestrap 33 isreceived and is snugly confined by the liners 66 and 68 which thus constitute strap guide surfaces, although it will be understood that, if desired, these liners may be eliminated. Furthermore, as best seen in Figures 5 and 7, the U-shaped plate 60 is aligned with a recess 82 in the outboard face of the Wheel 31 to provide ample clearance for outboard movement of the wheel relative tothe truck frame 2 under service conditions wherein such movement frequently takes place, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

A modification of the device is illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, wherein two guide assemblies 90 are supported by the tie bar 56 in alignment with the recess 82 of the wheel 31. In the modified structure, a U'-shape'd plate 92 of each assembly 90 is secured as, for example, by welding at 94 to the top side of the tie bar 56, said plate defining an elongated guide slot 96 for reception of the strap 33. The plate 92 is provided with inboard and outboard liners or wear plates 98 and 100, respectively, secured to the plate 92 as by bolt and nut assemblies 102 and 104. Two or'more' shims 106 are preferably positioned between the liner 98 and the surface of the plate 92 against which the liner 98 is clamped by the bolt and nut assembly 102. Similarly, two or more shims 108 are preferably positioned between the liner 100 and the related surface of the plate 92 against which the liner 100 is clamped by the bolt and nut assembly 104.

Thus it will be understood that the distance between the liners 98 and 100, which constitute strap engaging guide surfaces, may be varied by removing one or more of the shims 106 and 108, or by adding additional shims. Also the liners 98 and 100 may be adjusted toward and away from the wheel 31' without changing the spacing between these liners. This may be accomplished, for example, by removing a shim 108 and inserting it between the liner 98 and the outboard shim 106, thereby resulting in outboard adjustment of the slot 96 with respect to the wheel 31 while maintaining the same spacing of theliners as that illustrated. Similarly, if inboard adjustment of the slot 96 is desired, one of the shims 106 may be removed and inserted between the liner 100 and the inboard shim 108.

Directing attention to Figures through 12, which illustrate further embodiment of the invention, it Will be seen that a longitudinal elongated plate 120 is provided with a series of holes 122 which serves as a convenient means whereby the plate 120 may be bolted to the tie bar 56. It will also be noted that the holes 122 are elongated transversely of the plate 120 thus providing for adjustable movement of the plate inboardly and outboardly of the truck and relative thereto, much the same as that used in the first described embodiment. Also, it will be understood that the elongation of plate holes 122 permits the plate to be shifted in a horizontal plane so the bolts securing the plate to the tie bar can be disposed at the forward extremity of one end hole and at the rearward extremity of the opposite end hole, thereby accommodating the adjustment of the plate laterally in a direction inboardly of the truck toward the wheel and axle assembly or outboardly away from the wheel and axle assembly or angularly relative to the longitudinal axis of the truck. Another plate 124 comprises flange 126 which is preferably rigidly secured, as by welding, to the underside of the plate 120. Plate 124 is U-shaped as will be seen in the sectional view of Figure 12, said plate partially defining the slot 127 which receives the brake strap 33 in a manner similar to that of the other embodiments. The plate 120 has additionally secured thereto, and at opposite ends thereof, other plates 128, 128. The plates 128 are provided with vertical flanges 130 which are arranged parallel to the segment 132 of the plate 124, again as best seen in Figure 12. The vertical flanges 130 and the vertical segment 132 may be provided with inboard and outboard liners or wear plates 134 and 136, respectively, said liners being secured to the segments 130 and 132 in any suitable manner, such as byv the illustrated rivets 138 or by demountable bolt and nut assemblies. Additionally, the liners 134 and 136 may be provided with shims interposed between said liners and the related vertical segments in a manner similar tothat utilized in the modification illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. In this manner, desired adjustment of the width of the slot 126 may be provided for. Thus, it will be seen that in this embodiment, the particular longitudinal spacing and arrangement of the guide surfaces provides more positive longitudinal stability for the guide brake strap, in addition to providing for porper adjustment of the slot relative to the truck and for adjustment of the width of the slot.

Thus it will be understood that I have devised a novel brake arrangement wherein the underaxle strap 33 which transmits braking force from the live lever 36 to the dead lever 20, is guided and adjusted to proper position with respect to the wheel and levers by means of a guide assembly carried by the pedestal tie bar 56, said assembly being sturdy and economical in construction and having a strap guide slot which may be adjusted in width and which may be adjusted inboardly or outboardly'if desired.

I claim:

1. In a railway truck having a truck frame and a supporting wheel and axle assembly including a journal box received between spaced jaws of the frame; the combination of a tie bar interconnecting said jaws, truck levers at opposite sides of said assembly, friction means actuated by said levers for braking engagement with said assembly, an underaxle strap interconnecting said levers, said strap being positioned outboardly of the wheel and axle assembly and being disposed to extend longitudinally of the truck frame in a horizontal plane, and a guide assembly carried by the tie bar, said assembly comprising a plurality of generally vertically extending longitudinally spaced walls some of which are transversely spaced from each other transversely of the truck frame and having liners secured thereto defining therebetween a generally U-shaped slot open at the top guidably receiving the strap, and means to detachably connect said liners to said walls to accommodate the adjustment of the width of said slot and to accommodate the adjustment of the location of the slot in a horizontal plane in a direction toward or away from the wheel and axle assembly.

2. A railway truck according to claim 1, wherein the guide assembly is detachably mounted to the tie bar, and wherein said mounting includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced holes elongated in a direction transversely of the truck frame to accommodate the adjustable positioning of the guide assembly slot whereby the slot can be moved in a horizontal direction toward or away from the longitudinal axis of the truck frame and whereby the angle between the longitudinal axis of the slot and the longitudinal axis of the side frame can be varied.

3. In a brake arrangement for a railway truck having a truck frame and a supporting wheel and axle assembly with a journal box received between speed pedestals of said frame; the combination of truck levers at opposite sides of said assembly, friction means operatively connected to said levers for braking said assembly, an underaxle member pivotally connected to said levers for transmitting braking force therebetween, said member being positioned outboardly of the wheel and axle assembly and being disposed to extend longitudinally of the truck frame in a horizontal plane, a pedestal tie bar detachably connected to said pedestals and underlying a portion of said journal box, and a guide assembly associated with said member and carried by said bar, said assembly comprising a guide having an upwardly opening slot receiving said member and defined by parallel oppositely facing surfaces defining vertical planes located outboardly of the wheel and axle assembly and extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the truck frame, said surface planes being spaced from each other transversely relative to said axis, said guide assembly being detachably mounted on said bar, said mounting including a plurality of bolt holes elongated transversely relative to said axis to permit the adjusting of the positions of said surface planes transversely and angularly with respect to said axis.

4. Ina railway car truck a connecting strap guide bracket arrangement comprising a movable strap having opposed parallel fiat surfaces, and a stationary guide bracket, said bracket including a plurality of generally vertically extending longitudinally spaced walls some of which are spaced from each other transversely of the truck and having liners secured thereto and defining therebetween a generally U-shaped slot open at the top guid ably receiving the strap, and means to detachably connect said liners to said walls to accommodate the adjusting of the width of said slot, and to accommodate the adjusting of the location of said slot relative to the truck frame in a horizontal plane in a direction toward or away from the wheel and axle assembly of said truck.

5. A railway car truck connecting strap guide bracket arrangement according to claim 4 wherein said guide bracket is detachably mounted on a frame of said truck, and wherein said mounting includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced holes elongated in a direction transversely of the truck frame accommodating the adjustable positioning of the slot whereby the slot can be moved horizontally toward or away from the longitudinal vertical center plane of the truck and whereby the angle between the longitndinal axis of the slot and said center plane can be varied.

6. A railway car truck connecting strap guide bracket arrangement according to claim 4 wherein the liner of one of said walls presents a strap engaging surface facing in one direction and wherein the liners of two of said walls present strap engaging surfaces facing in the opposite direction.

7. A railway car truck connecting strap guide bracket arrangement according to claim 6 wherein said secondmentioned strap engaging surfaces are disposed on opposite ends of and spaced longitudinally of the truck from said first-mentioned strap engaging surface to afford longitudinal stability for said strap.

References (Jited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,575,238 Walker Mar. 2, 1926 1,724,265 Ekholm Aug. 13, 1929 1,913,625 Crossman June 13, 1933 1,969,114 Baselt Aug. 7, 1934 2,097,316 Whitford Oct. 26, 1937 2,113,958 Baselt Apr. 12, 1938 

